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boaters and diving?

hi all,,,,,i am curious how many of you boaters here are divers?....i have always wanted to take up the sport and now with the new boat next year, i think it would make a good pairing!...having the ability to swim around under the boat(anchor issues, etc) , plus seeing and exploring the underworld would be a hoot!......larry

I dive occasionally, mostly in warm waters, but got my dry suit and advanced certifications last May in Seward. I was planning on renting dive gear and doing some diving this summer, but was too busy fishing and never got to it.
Are you a certified diver? If not, I would definitely go talk to one of the dive shops in town and see the cost of gear/training.
It is also a good thing to have a diving buddy when you dive.
I personally would like to get into underwater fishing with a spear gun, been hearing all the stories of guys shooting small halibut and other fish out there.

I've always wanted to check it out myself, but the dangers and added stress kept me from doing it. (in other words I'm lazy)
I finally mastered snorkeling last winter at Maui after all these years. I was never able to get the breathing thing down w/o panicking. The answer was pretty simple I had a mustache before and I never could get a seal on my mask. When I discovered this, snorkeling turned into a whole new world.

Love it!

The wife and I are avid snorkelers, we go in the tropics, we have two piece wet suits with a third surf shirt for an added layer. We wear water-proof back packs and drag inflatable kayaks leashed to us. With all this gear we can travel long distances and stay in the water all day if we want. Snorkeling gives us unrestricted time in the water and no hassle with air tank limits, plus there seems to be more places to get to quickly versus dive locations. You can be on a hike and find a snorkel spot along the way, your in the water right now. I have always wanted to do it here in Alaska, but the water is dark, cold, and seemly uninviting. The friends who have dived out of Whittier talk about the cold, then they talk about the places they go in the tropics, it's just not the same. Frustrating to have a boat here that is perfect for such an activity, bobbing around in your survival suit I guess could be fun.

thanks guys,,,well, at this point, i have 5 books from the good ol' library,,,have gone though 2 at this point!...at this point i have NO experience what so ever, but plan on taking the PADI cours online during the winter, then take the practical early next year!.....i have a co worker who has dived in the pacific north west, in a dry suit, and just says it is amazing!..40-80 ft is plenty!!.....but for now, the open water certification to 60 ft i believe will do just fine.....and yes russian, one of ,my main motivators is the SPEAR GUN!!!........larry

That's awesome...

That is awesome that you are going to get into it, take pictures! We have underwater cameras, they are only good for ten feet then they need a waterproof case after that. Did you catch the article about diving out of Seward in Eldorado Narrows? I thought that was interesting, never thought that would be a place I would want to be out of the boat.

hey russia, that would be great but we are a LOOOng way away!!,,,,i live in prince george BC, so most of the fishing/boating diving will be out of Prince Rupert, just south of the alaska panhandle!!.,,,now, in a few years as i get more boat time in, we are going up to kekchican/junneu etc!......

now that i have read a couple more diveing books,,i think this winter i wil get the online padi course,,BUT, do the "skin diving" thing until i get comfortable in the water!..snorkle/,diving vest etc!.....larry

hey russia, that would be great but we are a LOOOng way away!!,,,,i live in prince george BC, so most of the fishing/boating diving will be out of Prince Rupert, just south of the alaska panhandle!!.,,,now, in a few years as i get more boat time in, we are going up to kekchican/junneu etc!......

now that i have read a couple more diveing books,,i think this winter i wil get the online padi course,,BUT, do the "skin diving" thing until i get comfortable in the water!..snorkle/,diving vest etc!.....larry

ps, can i pick your brains on diving in the future?

Oh, I should've guessed by your username. Yeah I'd be glad to help with any questions you have. I agree with you and suggest getting your open water certification done somewhere warm, so you don't have to deal with too many things at once, and then get your advanced and dry suit at the same time. At least that's what I did and I think it's a good route to take when you come into this with no experience. Diving in a dry suit isn't hard, but takes some practice.

I dive just about every summer up here from about April or when i am home in the state. We spend a good time out in Whittier and have dove a lot of diff areas out there clear out to Montague. I am a rescue cert and would suggest you get at least advance lever regardless how deep you may want to dive here. There is a good bit of knowledge needed to dive here IE water temp, depth, dry suit currents in and out, distance from help if needed and so on. I AM NOT TRYING TO TALK YOU OUT OF IT, just think about the known and unknown risks. The average water temp that i see from Seward to the sound in April & May will be from 42 degrees on up to 54 is what i have seen. Best diving is the winter because of the plankton or lack of. It is not the same as the Crib or South America you just do not have the Vis like down there.

I just like being in the water under a air tank. Feel free to hit me up on whatever questions you may have.